Days after the excise department seized nearly 42,000 bottles of foreign liquor allegedly smuggled into India, officials have begun auditing licensed liquor vends across Gurugram to uncover the full network behind the operation and determine how duty-evaded alcohol entered the retail market, officials said.
The move follows a major raid at a Gurugram liquor shop, “The Theka,” where enforcement teams seized 3,921 cartons and 176 bottles of imported liquor after receiving a tip-off from a liquor trader, police said. They added that the most of the bottles lacked mandatory holograms and track-and-trace strips, indicating that customs and excise duties had been bypassed. The seized stock included premium scotch and luxury vodka brands and is estimated to be worth around ₹10 crore in the black market, officers said.
HT had earlier reported that Gurugram’s liquor market had been under scrutiny for months over allegations that untaxed foreign liquor was flooding the city and being sold at steeply discounted prices. Officials said the scale of the latest seizure confirms that the problem extends beyond retail vends and has penetrated defence clubs, where canteen liquor procured through the Canteen Stores Department is allegedly being consumed without a valid licence.
Amit Bhatia, deputy excise and taxation commissioner, said the illegal consignment was stored by the shop owner and his associates. “The foreign/imported liquor seized from the shop was stored there by Goyal and his aides,” Bhatia said.
The investigation began with the arrest of the shop’s manager, Ajay Kumar (26), who allegedly supervised the stocking of smuggled liquor, including more than 80 high-end brands such as Chivas, Glenmorangie, Absolut Vodka and Johnny Walker Black Label, police said. On Friday, Ankush Goyal, who owns a 25% stake in the store, was arrested in Jhunjhunu in Rajasthan, they added.
Investigators suspect the syndicate used more than 50 fake customs bond companies that existed only “on paper” to illegally move imported liquor into the local retail market. Under the legal route, imported liquor must first pass through government-regulated customs warehouses before reaching licensed private warehouses. In this case, however, bottles were allegedly diverted directly to retail vends, allowing those involved to evade duties and earn unusually high profit margins.
Advocate Rajeev Yadav, who has repeatedly flagged alleged irregularities in Gurugram’s liquor trade, said smuggling networks thrive by exploiting systemic gaps. “There is a huge difference in price between smuggled and imported liquor. That price gap fuels the illegal market,” he said.
Industry insiders also acknowledged that imported liquor dominates shelf space in Gurugram, with Indian Made Foreign Liquor’s market share having dropped to around 30%.
Following the seizure, authorities have started auditing liquor licences, warehouse statements, and real-time stock entries across city vends. Officials said possible internal collusion during audits and in supply chain monitoring is also under examination.
A senior excise officer said the raid underscored the need for stronger compliance mechanisms. “This has brought the spotlight on duty-evaded liquor circulating in the market. More vends and establishments will be inspected as the investigation progresses,” the officer said, asking not to be named.